News_Rich_Media: Tiger Woods has withdrawn from the Masters after being forced to undergo back surgery, missing the tournament for the first time in 20 years.

2.THE CURSE IS BROKEN

Adam Scott’s unforgettable victory at Augusta a year ago ended one of the longest droughts in Australian sport. Never before in the nearly 80-year history of golf’s grandest event had a man from the land Down Under earned the green jacket. Many had come close and failed - most notably Greg Norman, who suffered one of the great chokes in 1996, giving up a six-shot lead in the final round to lose by five to Nick Faldo.

Three Australians have won on the PGA Tour in the past five weeks: Jason Day at the WGC Match Play in Arizona; John Senden at the Valspar Championship in Florida; and Steven Bowditch’s breakthrough victory at the Texas Open this week after overcoming depression.

News_Image_File: Steven Bowditch celebrates his victory at the Texas Open last weekend.

4.ADAM SCOTT

He is the defending champion after all, and Fox Sports guru Brett Ogle is confident Scott will handle all that comes with it. “There will be a lot of hype and media pressure on him,” Ogle said. “But Scotty being Scotty, I know he’ll handle it well. He’s striking the ball beautifully. I love the way he’s hitting it, he’s just crushing it. It just depends on the big long wand and how he goes on the greens. We saw last year he was stroking them in from everywhere and let’s hope he can do it again. Another green jacket.”

News_Image_File: Adam Scott’s favourite photograph of the 2013 Masters, featuring a selfless Marc Leishman celebrating for him in the background.

5.PACK MENTALITY

When Adam Scott rolled in a clutch birdie putt at 18 to ensure at least a playoff, he screams in delight. And in the background, out of focus, is another Aussie. Scott’s playing partner in that final round, Marc Leishman, raised his fist in delight at his countryman’s feat (picture above). The moment speaks volumes of the camaraderie between the Australian players on the tour. The story also goes that when Geoff Ogilvy won the US Open at Winged Foot in 2006, Scott was already at the airport but came back through almost 50km of New York traffic to personally congratulate his great mate.

Augusta National was designed by golf course architect Dr Alister MacKenzie, the same genius behind Royal Melbourne. The Australians in the field are certainly no strangers to the quick, sloping greens and wide fairways he is renowned for.

News_Image_File: Jason Day hits his tee shot on the 16th at Augusta.

7.NUMBERS GAME

The Masters has the smallest field of all the majors, while also featuring a number of old champions who have no chance whatsoever of victory. With six Australians in the mix, the odds are in our favour, especially when you consider the evenness of golf in recent years: the past 10 majors have been won by 10 different players.

News_Image_File: John Senden is one of six Australians in the Masters field.

8.LIMPING LEFTY

Tiger isn’t the only top dog with injury dramas. Three-time Masters champion Phil Mickelson withdrew from the last weekend’s Texas Open with a pulled muscle.

News_Image_File: Phil Mickelson is struggling with injury heading into the Masters.

9.CADDIE FACTOR

Just ask Steve Williams, and he’ll tell you how important he is to a player’s chance of winning a major. The world’s most famous caddie – the former bagman of Tiger Woods – will once again be carrying Adam Scott’s clubs in Augusta.

While it may be a little premature to be tipping 19-year-old Oliver Goss to win the tournament proper, the West Australian is a huge chance of taking out the prize for top amateur. Keep an eye on this kid.

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